Tetrametri

Tetrametri, or tetrameter in English, is a term used in poetry to denote a line of verse composed of four metrical feet. The word derives from Greek tetra- “four” and metron “measure.” In practice, a tetrametric line can be built from different foot types, yielding several distinct kinds of tetrameter.

The most common form in English is iambic tetrameter, which consists of four iambs per line (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, repeated four times). This pattern gives eight syllables per line and a steady, marching rhythm. Other varieties include trochaic tetrameter (four trochees), anapestic tetrameter (three short syllables followed by a long one per foot, four feet per line), and, less frequently, dactylic tetrameter. Poets sometimes mix foot types within a line for effect.

Uses and context: tetrameter is a staple in balladry and hymnody, where lines of eight syllables create a direct, drumbeat-like cadence. Ballad stanzas often alternate tetrametric lines with shorter lines, producing a characteristic alternation of rhythm. A widely cited English example of iambic tetrameter is the line “The woods are lovely, dark and deep” from Robert Frost’sStopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.

In other languages, such as Italian, tetrametri is less common, as classical Italian poetry often favors hendecasyllables. When used, tetrametric lines frequently appear in translations, experimental verse, or fields like libretti, where the four-foot constraint can reproduce the feel of certain rhythmic traditions without strict adherence to native metrical norms.